Botany

Amorphophallus titanum

Amorphophallus titanum, the titan arum, is a flowering plant in the family Araceae. It has a large unbranched inflorescence, a tall single leaf branched like a tree, and a heavy tuber which enables the plant to produce the inflorescence. A. titanum is endemic to rainforests on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Its flower blooms infrequently and only for a short period, and gives off a powerful scent of rotting flesh which attracts pollinators. As a consequence, it is characterized as a carrion flower, earning it the names corpse flower or corpse plant. Amorphophallus titanum was first brought to flower in cultivation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1889. Since then it has flowered at many botanic gardens but remains difficult for amateurs to cultivate. Flowerings can attract crowds of thousands of visitors, and in the 21st century also thousands of viewers on live streaming.

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See also

• ▸Colocasia fallax
• ▸Coventry Cathedral
• ▸Blandfordia cunninghamii

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